A fair point from the former Man United captain…
Rio Ferdinand has a Jack Grealish related concern about Manchester United’s new big-money signing Antony.
The club confirmed on Tuesday morning that an agreement had been reached for the transfer, after the Brazil international passed his medical.
Antony has 31 goals and 27 assists in 134 club appearances for Ajax and Sao Paulo, and two goals and two assists in nine senior appearances for his native Brazil.
Erik ten Hag desperately wanted the winger, which has led to United’s fans being quite excited about his arrival at the club.
However, Ferdinand has concerns not about Antony’s ability, but about how he will react to being a £80 million man.
An agreement has been reached for the transfer of @Antony00 🤝🔴#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 30, 2022
Rio Ferdinand on Antony signing
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: “Antony, you hope he comes in at the levels he’s coming in at, £100m or around that figure. You hope he comes in and it doesn’t weigh heavily around his neck,
“You look at Grealish last year, he wasn’t the same Grealish that played at Aston Villa, so it can weigh heavy. He won the league so he’s happy, it doesn’t matter.”
He continued: “But sometimes players come in under big transfer fees and they don’t play with the freedom they had before and that can be [due to] a couple of things.
“The price tag weighing heavy and the pressure and the attention being under the spotlight. A new environment and culture they’re not used to and a team set up they’re not used to.
“Those three things are big things that come into play when you sign but you have to have the personality and character to deal with all that.”
However, Ferdinand insisted that United aren’t just buying quality for now, but that Antony is likely to improve as the years go on, especially under Ten Hag’s guidance.
Click here to read what United fans can expect from their new signing.